The 49-year-old Bulgarian was released with restrictive conditions and a financial guarantee. whose extradition is requested by the USHow is he they accuse him of selling American microchips and other high-tech components to Russia, using a Bulgarian “front” company as a “vehicle” to bypass trade restrictions imposed by the US government.

Board of Appeal Thessalonikiwho is being asked to give an opinion on the US extradition request, has postponed – for legal reasons – the hearing of the case scheduled for today, accepting – simultaneously – the wanted person’s motion to have his temporary detention commuted to restrictive conditions, pending a decision on extradition to the US.

The 49-year-old man was arrested last December by Greek police in the Sidirokastro-Serres area as an international warrant was pending against him and has since been held in the Diavati prisons. According to the wanted man, he was arrested when he returned to Bulgaria after a trip to Thessaloniki to visit a friend.

What the 49-year-old claims

Himself through his defenders denied allegations of “fraud against the government” and “money laundering” attributed to him by the American judicial authorities, emphasizing that he has nothing to do with illegal exports to Russia. He declared himself the technical director of the Bulgarian company in question, which he says is a limited liability company and is owned by a compatriot named in court documents.

Regarding the technological components in question, the wanted party stated that they are not “dangerous goods” and no special license is required for their trade. It was emphasized that the actions attributed to him, described by the Americans, do not find independent reflection in the Greek legal order.

The case was adjourned because the Judicial Council accepted the request of his lawyers for the Americans to send the additional documents they had collected regarding his alleged actions and to produce documents, invoices, etc., documents that he would provide himself from the Bulgarian company.

It was decided to release him until the decision of the American request, with the restrictive conditions of the ban on leaving Greece – with the declaration of a specific place of residence, the appearance at the police station and the payment of a bail of 5,000 euros.

Why is the US blaming him?

United States District Court (Western District of Texas) issued a warrant for his arrest, charging him with acts that carry many years in prison, in accordance with US law. As described in the court documents, sensitive high-tech components such as microchips were exported between 2014 and 2016 from the US to Bulgaria, where they were repackaged and shipped through the company in question to Russia, in violation of trade restrictions imposed by the US. The recipients are two collaborating engineering companies based in Moscow, with a $1.7 million order mentioned among others.

Source: RES-IPE